Commentar y of WAR - Arc Manor

297 Pages·2007·2.53 MB·English

The

Reformatted
Edition with New
Art
Introduction &
Commentary
of
WAR
Antoine
Henri de
Jomini
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Commentary by
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Horace E. Cocroft, Jr.
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ISBN 0-9786536-3-7
The Art of War
by
Antoine Henri de Jomini
(Baron de Jomini)
General & Aide-de-Camp of the Emperor of Russia
Originally Published in French in 1836
Tranlated from the French by
Capt. G. H. Mendell
Corps of Topographical Engineers
U.S. Army
&
Lieut. W. P. Craighill
Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army
1862
This Edition by
Arc Manor, Rockville, MD
2007
With an Introduction and Commentary by
Horace E. Cocroft, Jr.
The Art of War by Antoine Henri (Baron) de Jomini. Originally published in French,
1836. Translation by G. H. Mendell and W. P. Craighill (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott),
1862. This edition of The Art of War (also known as Summary Of The Art of War), in
its current format, copyright © Arc Manor 2007. Original introduction and commentary
by Horace E. Cocroft, Jr., copyright © Arc Manor, 2007. This book, in whole or in
part, may not be copied or reproduced in its current format by any means, electronic,
mechanical or otherwise without permission from the publisher. Permission is granted
for the quotation of short excerpts used solely for literary critique or scholarly purposes.
Contact [email protected] for more information.
The Original text has been reformatted for clarity and to fit this edition. Illustrations are
taken from the 1862 edition of the translation.

Arc Manor, Arc Manor Classic Reprints and the Arc Manor logo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Arc Manor Publishers, Rockville, Maryland. All other trademarks
are properties of their respective owners.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006936549
ISBN-10: 0-9786536-3-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-9786536-3-7
MANOR
2007
P. O. Box 10339
Rockville, MD 20849-0339
United States of America
Ordering Information
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Table of Contents
Preface to the 1862 Edition 1
Introduction 3
SUMMARY OF THE ART OF WAR - DEFINITION OF THE ART OF WAR 7
CHAPTER I - STATESMANSHIP IN ITS RELATION TO WAR 9
ARTICLE I - Offensive Wars to Reclaim Rights 10
ARTICLE II - Of Wars Defensive Politically, and Offensive in a
Military Point of View 11
ARTICLE III - Wars of Expediency 12
ARTICLE IV - Of Wars with or without Allies 12
ARTICLE V - Wars of Intervention 13
ARTICLE VI - Aggressive Wars for Conquest and other Reasons 15
ARTICLE VII - Wars of Opinion 17
ARTICLE VIII - National Wars 20
ARTICLE IX - Civil Wars, and Wars of Religion 24
ARTICLE X - Double Wars, and the Danger of Undertaking Two
Wars at Once 25

CHAPTER II - MILITARY POLICY 28
ARTICLE XI - Military Statistics and Geography 29
ARTICLE XII - Other Causes which exercise an Influence upon the
Success of a War 30
ARTICLE XIII - Military Institutions 32
ARTICLE XIV - The Command of Armies, and the Chief Control over
Operations 38
ARTICLE XV - The Military Spirit of Nations, and the Morale of
Armies 43
CHAPTER III - STRATEGY - DEFINITION OF STRATEGY AND THE
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF WAR 49
ARTICLE XVI - Of the System of Operations 53
ARTICLE XVII - Of the Theater of Operations 55
ARTICLE XVIII - Bases of Operations 58
ARTICLE XIX - Strategic lines and Points, Decisive Points of the
Theater of War, and Objective Points of Operations 63
ARTICLE XX - Fronts of Operations, Strategic Fronts, Lines of
Defense, and Strategic Positions 68
ARTICLE XXI - Zones and Lines of Operations 73
ARTICLE XXII - Strategic Lines 93
ARTICLE XXIII - Means of protecting a Line of Operations by
Temporary Bases or Strategic Reserves 96
ARTICLE XXIV - The Old System of Wars of Position and the Modern
System of Marches 98
ARTICLE XXV - Depots of Supplies, and their Relation to
Marches 102
ARTICLE XXVI - The Defense of Frontiers by Forts and Intrenched
Lines.—Wars of Sieges 106
ARTICLE XXVII - The Connection of Intrenched Camps and Tetes de
Ponts with Strategy 112
ARTICLE XXVIII - Strategic Operations in Mountains 116
ARTICLE XXIX - Grand Invasions and Distant Expeditions 122

CHAPTER IV - GRAND TACTICS AND BATTLES 131
ARTICLE XXX - Positions and Defensive Battles 132
ARTICLE XXXI - Offensive Battles, and Different Orders of
Battle 136
ARTICLE XXXII - Turning Maneuvers, and too extended Movement
in Battles 150
ARTICLE XXXIII - Unexpected Meeting of Two Armies on the
March 153
ARTICLE XXXIV - Of Surprises of Armies 154
ARTICLE XXXV - Of the Attack by Main Force of Fortified Places,
Intrenched Camps or Lines.—Of Coups de Main in General 155
CHAPTER V - OF SEVERAL MIXED OPERATIONS, WHICH ARE IN
CHARACTER PARTLY STRATEGICAL AND PARTLY TACTICAL 162
ARTICLE XXXVI - Of Diversions and Great Detachments 162
ARTICLE XXXVII - Passage of Rivers and Other Streams 167
ARTICLE XXXVIII - Retreats and Pursuits 172
ARTICLE XXXIX - Of Cantonments, either when on the March, or
when established in Winter Quarters 182
ARTICLE XL - Descents 184
CHAPTER VI - LOGISTICS; OR, THE PRACTICAL ART OF MOVING
ARMIES 188
ARTICLE XLI - A few Remarks on Logistics in General 188
ARTICLE XLII - Of Reconnoissances and other Means of gaining
Correct Information of the Movements of the Enemy 199

CHAPTER VII - OF THE FORMATION OF TROOPS FOR BATTLE, AND THE
SEPARATE OR COMBINED USE OF THE THREE ARMS 207
ARTICLE XLIII - Posting Troops in Line of Battle 207
ARTICLE XLIV - Formation and Employment of Infantry 220
ARTICLE XLV - Cavalry 230
ARTICLE XLVI - Employment of Artillery 238
ARTICLE XLVII - Of the Combined Use of the Three Arms 241

SUPPLEMENT TO THE SUMMARY OF THE ART OF WAR 247
NOTE UPON THE MEANS OF ACQUIRING A GOOD STRATEGIC COUP-
D’OEIL 250
SECOND APPENDIX TO THE SUMMARY OF THE ART OF WAR - ON THE
FORMATION OF TROOPS FOR BATTLE 257
SKETCH OF THE PRINCIPAL MARITIME EXPEDITIONS 267
Commentaries
commentary on Chapter I 27
commentary on Chapter II 48
Commentary on Chapter III 129
Commentary on Chapter IV 161
commentary on Chapter V 187
Commentary on Chapter VI 206
commentary on Chapter Vii 246
Concluding commentary 288
Publisher’s note on illustrations and text
We have retained the original illustrations to maintain the flavor of the original
translation. However text has been reformatted and typeset for clarity and easy
readability
Preface to the 1862 Edition
I
n the execution of any undertaking there are extremes on either hand which
are alike to be avoided. The rule holds in a special manner in making a
translation. There is, on the one side, the extreme of too rigid adherence, word
for word and line for line, to the original, and on the other is the danger of
using too free a pen. In either case the sense of the author may not be truly
given. It is not always easy to preserve a proper mean between these extremes.
The translators of Jomini’s Summary of the Principles of the Art of War have
endeavored to render their author into plain English, without mutilating or
adding to his ideas, attempting no display and making no criticisms.
To persons accustomed to read for instruction in military matters, it is not
necessary to say a word with reference to wthe merits of Jomini. To those not
thus accustomed heretofore, but who are becoming more interested in such
subjects, (and this class must include the great mass of the American public,)
it is sufficient to say, and it may be said with entire truth, that General Jomini
is admitted by all competent judges to be one of the ablest military critics and
historians of this or any other day.
The translation now presented to the people has been made with the earnest
hope and the sincere expectation of its proving useful. As the existence of
a large, well-instructed standing army is deemed incompatible with our
institutions, it becomes the more important that military information be as
extensively diffused as possible among the people. If by the present work the
translators shall find they have contributed, even in an inconsiderable degree,
to this important object, they will be amply repaid for the care and labor
expended upon it.
To those persons to whom the study of the art of war is a new one, it is
recommended to begin at the article “Strategy,” Chapter III., from that point
to read to the end of the Second Appendix, and then to return to Chapters
Jomini j The Art of War
I. and II. It should be borne in mind that this subject, to be appreciated,
must be studied, map in hand: this remark is especially true of strategy. An
acquaintance with the campaigns of Napoleon I. is quite important, as they
are constantly referred to by Jomini and by all other recent writers on the
military art.
U.S. Military Academy,
West Point, N.Y.
January, 1862.